.

What's wrong with IX then? I wasn't a big fan of it back in the day, but the more I think about it the more I realise it actually had all the elements of a good Final Fantasy title. The only reason I didn't like it when I first played it was because I much preferred sci-fi settings. 

And I actually found the side content in the SNES, PS1 games to really improve my enjoyment of the games (side dungeons, card games, mini games). It gave the worlds extra depth and variety which is missing from both XII and XIII. Even FFX had a plethora of side content (probably too much now I'm replaying the HD remaster).

As for XII and XIII, they're both bad!

OT: So yes, the Final Fantasy series is definitely the most divisive.

A slow battle system, abilities tied to weapons, and an awful trance system ... 

These are HARD complaints, not soft ones like the characters or the story ...

It had all of the good elements of a FF game yet it hardly has any fans to show for it when it's not as well remembered as the high points ...

Yes you had materia's but they were very flexible and painless when it came to configuration ... 

As for FFVIII's draw system, drawing the spells were annoying but it's not like your encouraged to use a lot of it when junctioning them to your stat had more benefits ... 

Keeping support abilities in FFIX was a painstaking process since you had to learn the abilities with the weapon and grinding for tons of AP was no easy thing ...

GameCube. Younger Nintendo fans think it was the best console, real Nintendo fans know it sucked.

Smash comes to mind.

GTA Vice City Stories and IV, God Of War: Ascension and Uncharted 3 were quite divisive.

So your whole argument for FFXIII not being bad is "look at XII"?

I didn't say XIIs story and characters are good, they aren't, but the game was open and had tons of different stuff to do. And the combat certainly was a lot more tactical than XIIIs, plus it didn't have that stupid thing where when the leader dies it's game over. Tons of prior FF games had good side content, VI-IX most definitely had it. In XIII you don't even have optional Summons to find. For like 20 hours or more of the game it gives you no other option but to strictly follow its path.

Bolded: Are you trying to redefine RPG elements are now?

And if you're trying to suggest that VII, VIII and X are worse than XIII then just lol.

Not really. My fondness if for FF X. I just consider FF XIII a good game, but it deserves that 1/10 of a point less (2/10 when compared to FF X :D). If you read my second reply you see how my judgement on FF IX is still on hold. I played the Italian version and the localization was simply awful. And yes, childish. Now I bought the American one, so I'll see. I played just the beginning and it had a different feeling. About other games FF VIII was my favorite after FFX. Then I replayed it recently and that drawing killed me. But the story is still uber alles!

Regarding FF X... Sure it isn't divisive in Japan. It has been voted by the Famitsu readers in 2006 as the best game ever. Regarding the 16 hours.. I must have rushed through it. I don't believe I can manage to do it even on purpose. Still, doesn't FF IX have a special weapon one gets after beating most of the game in less than 12 hours? :p

I'm confused. Do you mean by loud minority, the ones that didnt enjoy the game? Because sales of the sequals paint a very clear picture on that. They are clearly the majority. There are obviously those that enjoyed it though, but i would say those were the minority looking at sales numbers.